USED AMERICAN or NEW CHINESE ???

Rongold

Hi all,

     My boiler piping started leaking, and I am totally capable of fixing it myself. However, my 6" and 10" pipe wrenches are not long enough to break some joints apart.  I want to buy a 14" and an 18" pipe wrench for more leverage.  New American ones are priced way too high.  I will probably never use them again, so I went onto Ebay and found good used American made ones for about $20-$30 each. I can get brand new Chinese ones for less than the used American ones.  Are the Chinese pipe wrenches that bad, like other Chinese items ???  Have any of you used them ???  What do you recommend---Used American or brand new Chinese ???   It's a pipe wrench, not some fragile item.  Is their steel that bad that one of them can bend or snap ??? How about black pipe & fittings. How bad are the Chinese ones compared to American ???

Thanks,

RON

nicholas bonham-carter

It depends on the amount of use you will put the wrenches to, and what size the pipe is that you will be turning. Are these leaking wet returns?
i would get a 24 Inch, and maybe if needed, a 3 footer from harbor freight.
The used Rigid wrenches can always have their teeth replaced, but not the Cheepos.—NBC 

kcopp

The ridgid pipe wrenches have always bitten better than the cheap imports I have found. There is nothing worse than putting all your weight on a wrench only to have it slip.... very frustrating.

mattmia2

i have a 14" and 18" aluminum harbor freight wrench. the only issue i have had is that the 18" seems to bite a little off center, the handle leans to one side a bit when you put force on it. it is only a little bit of an issue if you are trying to work with a fitting and a nipple right up against each other.

EdTheHeaterMan

I have used Rigid pipe wrenches with great results. I did find an old 18" wrench of another brand and used it when i delivered oil. The 18" was the standard issue for fuel oil home delivery back in the day. Well, it is over 30 years since I delivered fuel oil and that wrench showed up while cleaning out my garage. I tried to use it on a 1-1/4" pipe and could not get it to grip. I was ready to throw it out. while it was laying in the scrap pile if also found a 3 corner file. Then it occurred to me that the wrench was not the problem. it was the dull teeth on the wrench. The 3 corner file did the trick. After about 5 minutes of filing down the dull teeth on that old wrench Voila! the wrench works better than the old Rigid I have hanging on the wall.

For limited use. Get the one made of Chineesium. If the teeth go dull just get a 3 corner file and it will be better than new.

EBEBRATT-Ed

If your only going to use them once get the cheap China wrenches. If you think you will use them more often get the Ridgid used wrenches.

Maybe someone will let you borrow a couple of wrenches or you can probably rent them at a rental yard.You can rent them in my area

retiredguy

I would only buy a cheap foreign "knock off" when I had a very tight large fitting that I had to re-use and I needed to use a very long cheater pipe for the added leverage. I did not want to overly abuse my Ridgid wrenches. I always considered foreign stuff "cheap throwaways". You can not beat buying quality Ridgid wrenches since they will usually last for your entire working career and they come in sizes from 6" to 96". My own came in 6, 8, 10,12,14,18,24,36,48". Anything larger we would rent or find one that someone would let you use. Oh yes, the 96" is extremely heavy.

psb75

I just spent some time "dressing" the teeth of my old, yard sale, America-made, no brand, 24" pipe-wrenches with a triangular file--like EdTheHeaterman suggested. It worked "a treat." STMFT..."sharp teeth means fine turning"! Consider this: the metal of a file is harder than the teeth on the wrench. The metal of the teeth is harder than the steel of the pipe! Who figured this stuff out...in the first place? With a long enough cheater pipe on my 24" wrench...I can "turn the world!"

ChrisJ

mattmia2 said:

i have a 14" and 18" aluminum harbor freight wrench. the only issue i have had is that the 18" seems to bite a little off center, the handle leans to one side a bit when you put force on it. it is only a little bit of an issue if you are trying to work with a fitting and a nipple right up against each other.

That's funny, that's the exact issue I have with my 18".
But I can generally get it to work fine and have done a lot of piping with it. I have a 14" Ridgid but everything else is HF.

I also have two 48" wrenches from HF as well and have never had a problem with them.

Ridgid wrenches are obviously the best, but I don't think I could ever justify them in anything bigger than 14" or maybe 18" for a DIY.

At the same time, I don't think I'd ever put a cheater pipe or hang on a HF wrench in a way that it could hurt me.

Tinman

I’ve had or still have Ridgid pipe wrenches from 10” to 60”. I’d buy a used Ridgid before buying almost any other manufacturer new. 

EBEBRATT-Ed

Ridgid wrenches are great. I also have a couple of Reed wrenches and they are just as good, you can hardly tell them apart, even the jaws are interchangeable.

Problem is if you buy Ridgid replacement jaws they cost so much it's hardly worth it you can just about buy a new wrench for the same money

@retiredguy

I can't imagine a 96", must take 4 men to work that thing. Largest I used was a 48" along with a big chain wrench which are a lot lighter for there capacity than a standard wrench but chain wrenches grab pipe not so good for fittings.

I had a 36" I carried in my work truck. It was my own personal wrench. When I retired I left it the truck for the company to keep. If I need one (doubtful) I can borrow it. I have a couple of aluminum 2 footers in my own truck..........just can't let go

mattmia2

Seems like a compound wrench is a much better idea if you are contemplating an 8' wrench.

retiredguy

@EBEBRATT-Ed: I was at a supply house in Pittsburgh, Pa where I saw that 96" Ridgid pipe wrench setting on the floor. I thought it was a plastic display until the counter guy told me to pick it up. It was a real pipe wrench.